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. 2018 Mar 22:4:2059513118765294.
doi: 10.1177/2059513118765294. eCollection 2018 Jan-Dec.

Risk factors for peri-traumatic distress and appearance concerns in burn-injured inpatients identified by a screening tool

Ecaterina Oaie  1 , Emma Piepenstock  1 , Lisa Williams  1
Affiliations

Risk factors for peri-traumatic distress and appearance concerns in burn-injured inpatients identified by a screening tool

Ecaterina Oaie et al. Scars Burn Heal. .

Abstract

Introduction: Psychosocial screening of burn-injured patients is a National Burn Care Guideline and is increasingly used to identify individuals most in need of support. It can also generate data that can inform our understanding of patient reported concerns following a burn injury.

Method: As part of routine care, 461 patients admitted to a burns unit were screened soon after admission using a psychosocial screen designed by the service. The questionnaire included items on pre-existing social support, coping, emotional and psychological difficulties, as well as current trauma symptoms and current level of concern about changed appearance following the burn.

Results: Overall, patients reported low levels of appearance concerns (mean 3.7/10) and trauma symptoms (18% reporting flashbacks) in the initial days following a burn injury. In those who did report concerns, there were some significant associations with demographic and other variables. Patients who experienced flashbacks were younger and had a larger total body surface area (TBSA) burn. Higher levels of appearance concern were associated with younger women, larger TBSA and facial burns. However, the relationships found were weak and frequently confounded by other factors.

Conclusion: Overall, the findings indicate that initial trauma symptoms and appearance concerns are not inevitable in this group and there is no substitute for screening in identifying who is most at risk.

Keywords: Appearance; appearance concerns; burns; psychoeducation; psychosocial screening; screen; trauma.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Pie chart showing the mechanism of burn injury.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Pie chart displaying the breakdown of the sample based on TBSA affected by the burn injury.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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How to cite this article

    1. Oaie E, Piepenstock E, Williams L. Risk factors for peri-traumatic distress and appearance concerns in burn-injured inpatients identified by screening tool. Scars, Burns & Healing, Volume 4, 2018. DOI: 10.1177/2059513118765294 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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